Author's Note: I wrote this for my birthday in May. I wasn't feeling like doing anything, but I couldn't imagine my birthday passing without writing something. So what better than writing about my absolute favorite ship ever? Raven and Garfield have had a special place in my heart since watching the show as a kid, but I also have come to adore their comic personas, so I think this is somewhere in between the two. And after watching "Pirates" last night on Teen Titans Go!, hopefully this will be appreciated. It's a first attempt to write these two, but I do love them and hope I did them justice.
The cover photo is art by my lovely best friend, Jo, who knows Raven is my favorite fictional character of all time. I even used to meditate as a kid whenever I got mad. Still do, I guess, but she was a great example of doing the right thing in the face of adversity. If you wanna see this, or more of her art, check out hotcuppahjo-art on tumblr.
Reviews and requests are welcome! I want to write more about them and their companions. The Titans will always hold a special place in my heart.
"Cakes Generally Have Recipes"
"But it's not my birthday," she said, confused. Moments before, she'd walked into the Tower commons and been ambushed by the green shape-shifter. "Happy birthday Raven!" he'd shouted, leaping from the couch and galloping the few strides to greet her at the door. But it really wasn't her birthday.
His eager face was just above her's, eyes wide and excited as they locked with her dull ones. Every time she was this close to him, she noticed the little details about his face. He hadn't shaved since yesterday and dark green stubble spotted his chin. His bushy eyebrows arched high, far more expressive than hers ever were. She let herself memorize every minor thing, because she rarely let herself feel at all, but this feeling she was learning to embrace.
"I know it's probably not your actual birthday," he said, rolling his eyes for emphasis. "I had – what – 365 days to guess from? Not the best odds. But!" He took her hand from beneath her cloak and tugged her towards the counter. "Since you wouldn't tell me last night when your actual birthday is, I had to guess. So we're celebrating your birth today."
She tried to keep her face still. They'd had that conversation in the sanctuary of her room last night. And no one was allowed in the sanctuary of her room. The idea that Garfield Logan was becoming an exception was still a tender topic for her. Especially since the rest of the Titans were scattered across the room in the middle of various activities. "I wouldn't tell you because I don't have parties. My birth isn't exactly something to celebrate."
He spun to face her, his hand tightening around hers. Expression intense, his eyes darted evenly between hers. "Some people beg to differ."
In contrast to the narrowing of her eyes, her heart jumped.
Gar's face only ever stayed serious for so long as he spun again toward the counter. With a flourish, he revealed the biggest surprise yet. A sagging cake lounged on the counter. The icing attempted to be black, but the mix of food coloring had only resulted in a muddied purple. White highlights around the edges dripped down the sides. Jagged words, written in the same white, read only, "HB Rae." It was a pitiable cake that pretended to be greater than it was.
Gar was a decent cook when it came to food's that mattered to him. Mostly that included tofu-based dishes. His expertise clearly didn't extend to confectionary masterpieces.
"It's –" she began. Words raced through her head but none of them quite fit. Despite the unfortunate state of the cake, he gesture was well-meaning and heart-felt. And the cake had an unusual appeal to it. Interesting. Crooked. Miserable. "Adorable," she decided.
Just the right amount of avoidance and compliment.
Apparently, it was a good response. The word lit his face up. "Go ahead! Try some." He yanked open the nearest drawer and withdrew two forks.
"Just dig in?" she asked. He nodded vigorously. "Is there tofu in it?" It couldn't hurt to ask. Just to be certain.
Incredulously, he pulled back and his mouth turned up. "What kind of chef do you take me for? Am I so predictable?"
For a moment, her confusion showed in a series of blinks.
"Rae, it's a cake. There's no tofu in it."
"It's a legitimate query." Her fork hovered over the corner of the cake. Hesitation set in as she considered eating the thing. And without a plate. And partly as she realized she didn't want to ruin it.
Pausing one last time, she asked, "Did you get a picture?"
To her surprise, he laughed. "That good, huh? Yeah. I wanted to write out the whole thing on the cake, but Cy thought I might ruin the cake with my handwriting." That amused her. If the cake could be worse for wear, she was at a loss for how.
"Cyborg helped you?" Another stall, she knew. Her gaze floated to the other Titans in the room. Most were purposefully averting their attention. Starfire, she noticed, was actually reading a magazine upside down. Her stomach twisted as she realized their relationship – her best kept secret – was no secret to anyone else. Maybe they had even known much longer than she had. That thought almost brought a flush to her cheeks.
"Well, everyone helped me, actually. It was a group effort. But when it came to celebrating, they all mysteriously had to tend to other things." Gar waggled his eyebrows at her.
"Still we wish you a very happy day of birth!" Star called from the couch. Her unruly red hair spilled over the cushions. Dick hushed her and she quickly returned to her upside-down magazine.
Raven's lips trembled with the ghost of a smile. She touched the fork to the cake to take a bit, but the icing wouldn't give. Even with a little more force, she couldn't crack the cake.
"Huh," Gar mumbled. "That's strange."
"Did you follow the recipe?" She couldn't help but ask, though his sheepish look already gave her her answer. His cheeks darkened in a blush.
"There are recipes for this sort of thing?"
She wanted to slam her forehead into the cake, but she didn't break her poise. "Cakes generally have recipes."
"We didn't –" he paused. "Kori! You said you knew how to bake a cake! Is this even edible?"
"On Tamaran," she called back, "we –" Dick interrupted her with a hand over her mouth, reminding her of their silent pact to let Rae and Gar alone. Her eyes widened and she fell silent again, humming instead of answering.
"On Tamaran," Gar mumbled. "Great." He heaved the biggest, over-dramatic sigh, looking ridiculous with his built figure. Then he raised his hands in a shrug, "At least Cy will still eat it, yeah?"
"No way man!" Victor hollered back. "I'll eat most things, but I'm not going near the sugar rock from Tamaran." Kori shot him a look, but his eyebrows only raised in a challenge.
"It's okay," Raven assured the beast of a man behind her. His brows tugged down over his eyes with frustration. "It's okay, really. Now we won't have to ruin it."
"I wanted to give you something special," he said, groping for an explanation. He looked hopeless. A little like his cake.
Taking a deep breath and taking a risk, she lay her hand cautiously on his chest. His jaw still worked, grinding his teeth, bone on bone. But he met her steady gaze and his features began to relax at her touch. "Sorry, Rae."
"No one has ever wanted to celebrate my birthday. Much less put any effort into it." He averted his eyes, but she used her other hand to pull his chin back so he looked at her. "I'd say I already have something special."
The spark in his eyes was worth tolerating the excited giggle from Kori on the couch.